giving up

beauf wrote: »

WP never had much of a market share or apps. I think whats changed is people got tired of all the bugs.

Its dropped significantly though, I do remember it being a good few points higher.

I'm back after briefly dipping my toes into the Android (Marshmallow) world and I have to admit that there were a good few things that I missed from Windows Phone / 10 Mobile.

Things that were better in Android

• Outlook: Yep, Microsoft's Outlook is much better on Android. Focused inbox really helps filter out the bumpf and show you the mostly important stuff. Apparently it's coming to Windows 10 ... "Soon (TM)"
• Fingerprint authentication: It was a middle of the road Android Phone that I was using, but the fingerprint sensor was zippy and almost instant. It was definitely quicker than the time it would take to slide up to unlock my Lumia 950 (and a million times faster than the Iris Scanner).
• Variety of Apps: There were many more apps to choose from, but a large chunk of them were either naff or knock-off apps. The main thing was that you didn't have to question "Would there be an app for that?" ... but perhaps "Is the app for that legit?".
• Customisation: Almost everything within the Android User Experience could be tweaked, not always to the benefit of the user experience and sometimes to the frustration that other parts could not be customised or reverting customisations could take a bit of work

Things that I missed from Windows 10:

• Live Tiles: They really make the phone personal and are handy for a quick update without opening the app (if they're done right). It's much more consistent than whack-a-mole pages of flat icons and widgets that "sort of, but don't really do the same thing as live tiles"
• Notifications: Maybe it was just the Android distro on the phone, MIUI, but notifications were next to useless and were not actionable.
• Cortana: Cortana is so well integrated into Windows 10 that it all works well together. Google is a much better search engine than Bing, but it was easier to get things done with Cortana and I didn't have to repeat myself as much to be understood as I did with "OK Google"
• Security: Maybe it's just because there are fewer apps on Windows that this never happened, but without installing any dodgy apps (mainly Office, Skype, Wunderlist, etc.) within one week using the phone I had an unexpected logon attempt to my Microsoft account from a distant country.

For now, I'm back to Windows 10 Mobile and all it's foibles until something better comes along.

I actually took a foray into the android world too and had a very similar experience to you.

I'm back using the old 640XL but I am on WP 8.

Debating trying to upgrade to WP10...

I really missed the live tiles on the android.
I too have strong worries about security for a similar reason which is why I think I might stay on WP for the moment. I didn't install any dodgy apps either. Camera on the android phone I had was pretty crappy too, the lumia camera is way better.

I'm starting to think I will stick with WP too

Fingleberries wrote: »

Cortana on Android I found to be a second-class citizen. It was generally ok, but really didn't sit right and many of the useful context awareness appeared to be missing.

All right, maybe I just use her differently than you, I find her doing what I expect.

After using my 950 for about a year now, and looking at alternatives and being pretty unimpressed (exploding samsungs or dated iphones) i think ill just sit it out until next year and see what the state of phones is then.

Oh man I just can't iphone, had an iphone 4s - never again, nothing worked then!

Microsoft don't make the apps is the problem, other companies do. And they only do it where they can make the most money (compared to the amount that they put into development). This is why even though Android phones are hugely popular, that OS still has a significant shortfall of apps compared to Apple's iOS. Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile/Windows 10 for phones is way behind the curve where that is concerned unfortunately. Microsoft have now moved to betting on a big evolutionary change in mobile computing, ie. the thing that comes after smartphones. I guess they're hoping it'll be combination phone-PC devices (with Continuum), but there's no indication that this will solve the app problem. It might make the problem just go away in a sense because we'll be living in a web app world, but who knows.

You're probably better off asking in the Android forum if you want Android handset recommendations.

I'm sticking with it. I went through a period of investigating other phones but nothing really stands out. I've done iphones in the past. My better half has a samsung S6, which is as dull as an iphone.

I dont need a lot of Apps. The meagre selection doesnt bother me at all. And the camera on the 950 is still a selling point for me.

I got a Mozo replacement back cover and its transformed the feel of it.

I also used my Windows and Android phones side by side for a while.

I just like the ease of Windows, the home screen, live tiles and the smooth multiple mail/calendar experience (as I'm using caldav/carddav next to office365) but the lack of consumer apps really made it hard to continue using the device. And carrying two devices was just not practical.

I now have migrated to an Android phone (could not convince myself to join the church of apple) and with the excellent Microsoft apps available for Android, I have an easier experience transitioning. In fact some of the Microsoft Garage Apps are superior to their Windows Counterparts.

Yes I still don't have a great live tile homescreen and outlook does not allow caldav/carddav (unlike Windows Mail/Calendar) but otherwise my work life (Microsoft centric) and my consumer life (gadget driven) is now balanced on the same device. And I can even pay with my phone.

Do I miss the ease of Windows Phone Home Screen, absolutely. Would I go back if more consumer apps were available? In a heart beat.

But it came down to the lack of consumer apps for me, I'm now getting used to the Blackberry Hub which just has simplified my life so much by giving me everything in one view.